A year ago I had stumbled on this product called the Easy brake through a YouTube video. It’s made by pro spec, the same company that makes the Easy ride windshield extension and Easy clutch that I’ve used on my Himalayan, both of which have been extremely useful. So I was curious to try it out.
Easy Brake looks like an unassuming piece of plastic that attaches to your brake pedal. The main function is to provide a larger area of contact when you’re wearing a riding boot and improve the feedback. It also has an extension that allows easy application of the brake when you are standing and riding in off road terrain.
I was very sceptical anbout its application in the real world scenario but I was pleasantly proved wrong. The Easy brake as the name suggests makes it easier to apply the brake and get feedback especially when you are wearing riding boots with think sole. While standing and riding it’s very easy to access the extension for an easy application.
This improvement in feedback and easy access translates to a lot of braking confidence in both highway and off road riding. I got so used to and comfortable with it that as soon as they came up a model for the triumph scrambler 400X as well, I went ahead and got one installed on it. We did the entire Zanskar, Ladakh and Kashmir trip with this and it has proven to be very useful.
The RE Himalayan in itself comes as a wholesome package equipped to handle any terrain it treads. There are a few modifications that you can do which can improve the whole riding experience.
I’ve experimented with a lot of mods and accessories. Here are a few must have accessories on the Himalayan along with a few less useful ones.
List
Very Useful / Must Have Accessories
HJG Aux Lamps
Knuckle Guards
Saddle Stay
Touring Handlebar
Tyre Hugger
KTM Rear View Mirror
HDT Customs Himalayan Crash Guard
Useful / Optional Accessories
Phone Holder with USB charger
Pro Spec windshield extender
Gear lever cover
Jerry can holder
Helmet locker
12V socket
Rear master cylinder guard, brake fluid guard and radiator guard
Pro Spec highway footrest
Rubber tank grips
Less Useful
Pro Spec EZ Cruz throttle lock
Pro Spec EZ Clutch
Studds top box
Very Useful / Must Have Accessories for the Himalayan
Aux lamps
The Himalayan halogen headlight doesn’t perform adequately well at open highways and in foggy conditions. Having a led fog lamp with good throw is a game changer when touring at night or in extreme weather conditions.
I use the HJG 9 led lamp which have a very bright floodlight throw and is a blessing at night.
RE knuckle guards themselves do a very good job in protecting your levers and your hands in case of a fall or hit. It also protects your fingers from blade grass or trees when you are cutting through vegetation.
There are plenty of after market options but they don’t offer anything magical which the stock ones do. Even if you don’t like the way it looks, keep it on!
Saddle stay
I personally prefer saddle bags over tail bags or panniers because for one, it can store more luggage and second, it leaves the rear seat free for the pillion.
There are plenty of aftermarket options which are cheaper and better than the stock one.
A taller and wider handlebar adds a ton to the comfort and riding stance especially while saddling. But keep in mind that touring handlebars can have a bit more vibration than the stock one but that isn’t a dealbreaker.
Few good options are the AOM handlebar or Motoioi handlebar for Himalayan.
Due to the long travel suspension, there’s considerable distance from the rear wheel and the mudguard. Often my pillion gets an artwork of slush on the back in rainy conditions.
The universal tyre hugger is a game changer. It even looks sexy on the Himalayan! Make sure to get one which doesn’t interfere with any parts around the rear wheel.
The stock mirrors are basically useless above 100 km/h as it vibrates a lot. Moreover it’s field of vision is very less.
KTM rear view mirrors are the best alternative. It’s sturdy, looks good and offers better field of vision.
HDT customs crash guard
The stock crash guard is one of the most softest piece of metal on the Himalayan. Some say a soft crash guard is better as it bents with the crash and thus preventing the impact from being transferred to the chassis.
This cost me 13000 INR in repairs after a off-road training camp. After a couple of falls, it becomes totally useless and my Himalayan sustained a bent t stem, fork, handlebar and so on.
I installed the HDT customs crash guard which is a lot sturdier and has a 3 point attachment. I suffered few falls in an off road trail in Chikmagalur and surprisingly it didn’t leave any impact on the soft handle bar.
One drawback to this crash guard is that the tilt angle is reduced due to the extended lower slider but that’s something worth trading for the good durability of the crash guard.
This is very useful for pre 2021 Himalayan owners and useful for owners who aren’t satisfied with the tripper navigation. Moreover if you are camping, you can charge power banks and other devices throughout the day while riding.
Buffeting is a major issue if you are over 5’8 and sometimes for shorter folks who ride very upright on long highway stretches. A windshield extender will reduce wind buffeting to a great extend and helps to reduce fatigue when riding at high speeds over long distances.
A downside to this is that it increases resistance which in turn reduced the top speed and mileage to a small extent. Mind you it cuts out all the wind and in hot weather, it makes you sweat a lot!
Jerry can is a necessity for any motorcycles above 350cc when travelling to regions like Ladakh. Having a jerry can holder installed on the side frame can be of help in carrying extra fuel or water when off grid camping.
Electric air pumps need 12v sockets to function and installing one under the seat can be beneficial when riding in remote areas.
Since I don’t have a good experience with electric pump, I use a manual foot pump but I still keep the socket in case of any emergency. You can charge any USB devices using a 12v to USB adapter too.
Rear master cylinder guard, brake fluid guard and radiator guard
My rear master cylinder guard has taken a beating during an off-road session and without the guard, I’m sure I’d have damaged the master cylinder and lost the rear brake. So get yourself installed all the guards and be safe.
When seated the leg position on the Himalayan is a little behind for my comfort as I’m used to the forward leg position on the Bullet. The highway foot pegs can be mounted on the crash guards.
It’s very sturdy and strong enough to support leg weight and provided huge relief in stretching your legs while riding long hours. Best part is that you don’t need to drill any hole on the crash guard which can affect its integrity.
Tank grips are great for folks taller than 5’8 as they’d more likely hug the tank directly while saddling. It prevents scratching of the tank by the riding pants.
For me, I tend to hug the side panel rather than the tank. Even then these grips have prevented further scratches to the fuel tank from the riding pants.
When I first heard about this product I was very thrilled to try it out as I’ve always been fascinated with cruise control. Throttle lock does the job well but it’s not as practical as it sounds.
You need to be super alert to disengage the lock when needed to and thus taking away the ‘relax’ purpose of cruise control. When you are in a hurry and want to take as minimum breaks as possible, throttle lock helps in relaxing your hands for a bit, provided you have an open highway with fewer vehicles.
EZ clutch cable assembly makes the clutch action very easy and smooth as comparable to a 100cc motorcycle. For me it never worked properly as the gear shifts became harder.
Even with all permutation and combination, clutch never used to disengage completely. If you can find a workaround, do comment below.
Top box is useful for the daily commuter to store rain gears and other things. Personally I hate the look of big top boxes as it looks similar to a pizza delivery motorcycle.
I have installed a Studds top box which is the smallest available in the market. I have placed this point in the not so useful section as it hinders in loading big luggage on the rear rack and makes some noise while off roading. It also reduces the rear seat real estate a bit.
I hope some of you might’ve found this list useful. If there’s any accessory that you think should make it into the list, DM so that I can test it myself. If you like to enjoy this list of must have accessories on the Himalayan in video format, check out the link below
Based on what purpose you are going to use the Himalayan for, the stock parts that can be replaced with better after market ones are handlebar, off-road centric tyres, crash guard and mirrors
How many years are Himalayan tires good for?
The stock CEAT tyres on the Himalayan lasts for less than 8000km on average on the rear and 25000km on the front.
What are the mandatory accessories on the Himalayan?
On a bare minimum, should have the crash guard, oil guards and the knuckle guards on the Himalayan.
Which is the best tyre for the Himalayan?
The MRF Mogrip Meteor would be the best tyre in terms of dual purpose and longevity. For more off road centric tyres, check out Ralco tyres.
Is top box good for the Himalayan?
Top boxes are good to carry luggage for daily commute as well as for touring, It offers protection from environmental factors.
